GroupeMédia TFO network to broadcast first French-language Ontario election debate live on September 26, 2011

TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2011 /CNW/ - As the October 6 Ontario provincial
elections approach, GroupeMédia TFO and the Assemblée de la
francophonie de l'Ontario have formed a partnership to hold a debate
among representatives of Ontario's three main political parties.

The representatives—Gilles Bisson of the New Democratic Party, Jason
MacDonald of the Progressive Conservative Party, and Madeleine Meilleur
of the Liberal Party—will express their parties' respective visions in
a special program moderated by TFO journalist Gisèle Quenneville.

The debate, to be held entirely in French, will be broadcastlive from TFO's Toronto television studios starting at 7:00 PM on September 26, streamed live on the Internet at tfo.org and also on the radio stations of Ontario's francophone radio network
belonging to MICRO.

This encounter among Ontario's three main parties has been organized by
the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario, the organization that
unites and speaks as the political voice of Francophone Ontario. This
democratic exercise is receiving much attention not only in this
province, but throughout Canada as well, because it is the first
initiative of its kind to address French-speaking voters in the history
of Ontario elections.

Glenn O'Farrell, President and CEO of GroupeMédia TFO, explains, "This
is the first time that GroupeMédia TFO will be broadcasting a
provincial political debate in French. Through this event, we will be
giving the political parties a unique platform to explain their
positions in the electoral race. On September 26, French-speaking
citizens of Ontario will have a unique opportunity to hear the parties'
representatives and to ask them questions about the issues that concern
Franco-Ontarians."

Denis Vaillancourt, President of the Assemblée, adds, "We are delighted
to give the parties this forum to address Ontario's Francophone
community at large-a forum that will also let Franco-Ontarians get
information about the issues that concern them. This initiative on our
part is designed to encourage as many people as possible to participate
in the electoral process this coming October 6."